


firestarter

by hingabee



Category: Metal Gear
Genre: M/M, angry frustrated teenagers in the late 80s, books!!! many books!!!, more bittersweet fluff because thats all i can do atm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-13
Updated: 2017-11-13
Packaged: 2019-02-01 16:09:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12708378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hingabee/pseuds/hingabee
Summary: The first time Eli had taken him to a library he had actually started giggling uncontrollably in his joy, only to quickly be shushed by both the librarianandEli.





	firestarter

Reading, Mantis quickly learns, is probably the most important life skill of all; to him it even becomes more important than looking into the minds of others. Why waste his energy, when he can just as well find all the information he wants in a simple book he can put in his bag and take home? The book does not fight back, on the contrary; it even encourages him, _wants_ to be read; and Mantis gladly smoothes every page with shaking fingers, his lips moving along to the words without sound.

In the beginning it had only been simple things; Eli pointing out letters to him in old newspapers and magazines he had grabbed from the trash. Then, after a phase of initial frustration Mantis had finally dared to ask to be taught how to read and write.

Eli brought in colourful comics with grotesque images that Mantis didn’t really understand, but still managed to read out loud to his stern teacher, who corrected his every mistake. If Mantis managed to read something without troubles, he got to keep it. 

After the comics more difficult material followed; random books on biology or history that Eli had stolen from the library, sometimes a magazine about famous people (which confused Mantis to no end) and also an empty book with blank pages; Mantis did not have to ask about that and immediately began practicing his writing.

„You’re doing it the wrong way around again.“ Eli had sighed and pointed at a row of crooked Я’s. 

Mantis, mildly embarrassed, erased the letters, then later ripped out the page as a whole because he could still see the shadow of his mistakes behind his newer attempts. 

„I learned it in school, like this.“ He had only been there for three years though, and the teacher and other children had made fun of him almost every day, so he rarely went and preferred to spend his days strolling around in the woods. 

„Must’ve been a stupid school then.“ Eli had remarked, and Mantis had not been able to argue with that.

With time he could do well enough without Eli’s help, only asked him about words when he did not know what they meant, and even left him little notes all around the place to show off his new talent. 

Eli pretended to not be impressed, but Mantis could sense that this wasn’t completly true.

  
Now, years after his first small travels into the world of fiction, Mantis was lapping up every book and piece of literature he could get his hands on; the first time Eli had taken him to a library he had actually started giggling uncontrollably in his joy, only to quickly be shushed by both the librarian _and_ Eli.

Most of the books he had learned with had been replaced by more advanced reading material, though Mantis couldn’t bear to throw out the copy of _Lord of the Flies_ Eli had thrown at him one night during an argument; a few books about animal biology, especially arthropods, were allowed to stay too.

  


_Hello, Eli. Did you get the books I asked for?_

With a snarl Eli pushes through the door to their hotel room and drops a huge bag on the ground before kicking off his boots.

„I swear, I’m not even in the room yet, and you already start going on about your silly books.“ He huffs and shrugs off his coat. „How about you go out on your own sometime, I can’t always be around to hold your hand, you know.“

Mantis groans in annoyance and hides his already masked face behind a worn copy of Franz Kafka’s _The Metamorphosis_.

They bicker some more, both painfully aware of the fact that Eli has decided to leave for the military _soon_ , though Mantis is not exactly sure of the exact date _soon_ happens to fall on. He doesn’t like to think about it either; not about Eli’s „plan“ and a potential (and very likely) future without Eli at his side. But Eli is too practical to understand his worries and objections to that; so Mantis, in his little depression, buries himself in Brecht, Dostoevsky and the likes.

Kafka has quickly become his most recent favourite though: he enjoys the seemingly simple and straightforward language that slowly dissolves into twisting metaphors and surrealism, the honest emotion of the characters and the clear and yet so easily confusing subtext.

Mantis eyes Eli from behind his book and watches him rummage through his bag, while he quietly curses under his breath.

It almost frustrates him how different Eli is from the fictional people in his books; sometimes he gets close to giving in to the temptation of losing himself in their stories completely, it can be scary almost; and Mantis fears that his hyper empathy isn’t exclusively reserved for real beings.

Still, the tug of Eli’s mind at his own never leaves, never eases; only changes slightly over time; and at the end of the day, which in his case almost always happens to be the finishing a book, the real world, the real, breathing person beside him conquers his mind and soul just as easily as it did all those years ago.

„Getting bored of that rubbish? I’m not surprised.“ Eli interrupts his thoughts rudely.

„Huh?“

„You’re staring. And even though I know I look incredibly sharp today; usually my good looks aren’t enough to distract you from your reading.“ With a snort Eli climbs onto the bed beside Mantis and takes a peek at the cover of his book.

„Oh, it’s the bug one. The only good part was when he died, the poor sod.“ He yawns. „The rest of it was annoying.“

„I like it a lot. But I understand it might be a bit too confusing for you.“, Mantis declares, causing Eli to frown and flick the filter of Mantis mask with his finger. „Maybe you should stick to watching television, hm?“

In the blink of an eye _The Metamorphosis_ is lying on the ground, pages crumpled up roughly against the carpet. After a very short, very unfair wrestling match Eli let’s out a triumphant howl and pins Mantis to the mattress, straddling his legs.

„I won.“

_Because I let you._

Mantis pants in exhaustion behind his mask; he is no fan of physical exercise.

„Bullshit,“ Eli growls but interwines Mantis fingers with his own. „If you gained some weight and practised enough you could come with me to join the army.“

That statement is so ridiculous that Mantis actually laughs out loud and wheezes a little while Eli tugs a curl of red hair out of the mask’s lens.

„Now, what’s so funny about that, hm?“ he demands to know; clearly unhappy with that reaction.

Mantis finally catches his breath and looks up at Eli, hands still pinned uselessly beside his head.

„You don’t seriously think I want to join the army, let alone _can_? I am not going with you, Eli.“

Like a dog that got scolded; disappointment and something like shame on his face; Eli lets go of Mantis and picks up the book to wordlessly place it on the pillow. Only then Mantis realises, that Eli has not actually taken the idea of them separating into consideration and feels something cold and slimy; another person’s feelings; creep up his spine.

Mantis sits up and awkwardly starts playing with his socks as Eli continues digging around in that bag of his.

_I… did not realise this was up for debate. I thought you were aware of my feelings on this. ___

__Eli barks out an empty laugh and doesn’t turn around when he speaks._ _

__„I thought you were the psychic here, though apparently you aren’t too great with that either, huh?“ He wipes his face with the back of his hand. „Otherwise you would've cared to look at my thoughts every once in a while, wouldn’t you?“__

____

____

_Eli… ._

__„Don‘t 'Oh, but Eli… .‘ me, _Mantis_. That doesn’t work on me anymore.“_ _

__Mantis doesn’t know if the anger he is feeling is his own, but he doesn’t really care either and jumps off the bed to stand beside Eli, looking down at him with crossed arms._ _

__„You make it sound like _I_ am the one leaving you behind! And now all of a sudden I’m welcome to look at your thoughts? I thought you wanted your privacy?!“ He throws his hands in the air and lets himself get way louder than he actually intends to. „Make up your mind, will you?!“_ _

__Eli stares at him for a second before getting up and kicking at the bag so hard its contents spill all over the floor._ _

__„You are so fucking annoying sometimes. You know that, Mantis? I’m glad that I finally can get rid of you soon.“ Eli grabs his shoes and coat and gets ready to storm out of the room._ _

__Mantis watches him, his lips trembling slightly as he locks the door._ _

__„Mantis, I swear, if you don’t open this door I… .“ Eli’s voice seems to fade in the middle of his sentence and he opens and closes his mouth a few times before shaking his head and flopping onto the bed face first._ _

_Eli… ._

__„Shut up.“_ _

Mantis does . 

  


When he crouches down to put everything back into the bag he notices _The Castle_ , several novels by Bradbury and even a brand new copy of _Firestarter_ scattered among Eli’s stuff. He tries to ignore them for as long as he can, but when they are the only items left on the dirty carpet Mantis has no choice but to pick them up and put them with his other books. 

__The bed creaks under his meager weight when he sits down beside Eli, who is still radiating fury and frustration._ _

_I am sorry for locking the door, that was not fair._

Eli grunts in acknowledgement. 

_I just don’t want you to leave. Not now nor… later._

__With a huff Eli turns around and looks up at Mantis, his face still red from his little tantrum earlier._ _

__„Then come with me.“_ _

__„I can’t, Eli.“ Mantis rests his head on the pillow beside Eli’s._ _

__„You could try. You can… use your powers too, nobody will notice you’re not old enough yet.“_ _

__Carefully Mantis grabs Eli’s wrist and sighs deeply; Eli is too stubborn to give in, so _he_ has to be the one to clean up this mess. There is a bit of hesitation as he presses his face against Eli’s neck and hums thoughtfully. Eli tenses a little under his touch._ _

_We can write each other._ Mantis thinks calmly. _I will tell you all about the boring, old books I read while you’re gone. And you can tell me about planes and guns, if you want to._

__Mantis holds his breath as Eli considers his peace offering._ _

__„... alright. But you have to send pictures too. I want to see if you grow any taller while I’m gone. And promise me that you will remember to eat.“_ _

__  
They lie in silence until Eli falls asleep, and for once Mantis ignores his books in favour of staying with him for just a little bit longer._ _

**Author's Note:**

> eli owning lord of the flies is a nod at aireyvs white diamond series ;-)


End file.
